A Reuters report said that among the bidders were a team of Blackstone Group and Carlyle Group, a team of TPG and Lightyear Capital, Stifel Financial Corp., Raymond James Financial, Warburg Pincus and Apollo Global Management. A dealReporter.com story said MF Global was also bidding. Sources said a sale could come within a month

Regions is auctioning the Memphis-based unit, which it bought in 2001 for $812 million, in an effort to raise part of the $3.5 billion that it owes to the U.S. Treasury under the federal bailout program. Morgan Keegan could fetch anywhere from $700 million to $1.5 billion.